Diversifying Technician Education in North Dakota

Williston State College is in the center of the Bakken shale oil reserves of North Dakota, where the oil industry drives much of the regional economy. As a result, the college's Automation and Control Program originally focused on oil industry needs. However, the region includes other well-established industries that are independent of oilfield fluctuations. This project aims to transition the previous automation and control program from preparing technicians for oil industry jobs to preparing technicians who can also meet the region's more diverse workforce demands for automation and control expertise. Project aims are to: 1) broaden the focus of the existing automation and control program; 2) establish stackable/latticed credentials; 3) embed industry-relevant certifications into the program; and 4) make the program accessible to more students by offering hybrid courses. The expanded program aims to teach transferable skills that meet workforce needs in non-petroleum industries in the region.

The project will enhance the academic quality of the current automation and control program. In response to industry demand, the new automation and control program will incorporate information technology skills such as networking and programming. In addition, it will offer industry certifications such as the National Institute for Metalworking Skills-based Industrial Technology Maintenance certification and the Cisco Interconnecting Networking Device certification. The project expands on infrastructure developed and best practices learned as a recipient of a Trade Adjustment Assistance Community College and Career Training grant from the Department of Labor. The project will expand technical knowledge in the region as students offer new skills and expertise to their employers and to peer networks. Students who learn transferable automation and control skills that incorporate the nationally recognized National Institution of Metalworking Skills certification will have improved career options, in the region and beyond. In addition, the regional economy can benefit by having a workforce that can apply automation and control skills in diverse industries. Newly hired technicians who have industry-needed skills can be immediately productive, contributing to increasing technical knowledge and application in the region. The program that serves as the foundation for the proposed project has strong enrollment and completion by women and minorities. The expectation is that this these trends will continue, helping to diversify the automation and control technician workforce.